Latest news and stories about public services in infrastructure in Setúbal, Portugal for expats and residents.
The Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority has urged SMAS Almada to proactively compensate residents impacted by recent water supply disruptions.
The Municipalized Water and Sanitation Services of Almada have identified multiple significant water leaks following reinforced inspection efforts aimed at improving system efficiency and promoting responsible resource management.
Water reserves in the Almada municipality have reached 40%, prompting the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services to evaluate potential reductions in ongoing supply cuts that have affected areas like Costa da Caparica.
The Almada municipality has announced further night-time water supply cuts affecting ten areas to restore reserves, prompting concerns from local business owners regarding potential compensation claims and warnings from regulators about temporary water quality changes.
A new water extraction borehole in Almada will begin operations this Sunday, aiming to boost the municipal supply system's capacity by approximately 20%.
The Socialist Party in Setúbal has called on the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities to address the critical water supply instability in Almada, highlighting concerns over infrastructure neglect and service failures.
The municipality of Almada has implemented overnight water cuts from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM as reserves drop to 10% capacity, sparking public unrest and protests amid a deepening supply crisis.
Approximately 1,500 residents in Costa da Caparica, Almada, staged a protest march to demand immediate action regarding persistent water supply failures that have left households without water for days during extreme heat.
Water supply is gradually returning to six areas in Almada following a burst pipe repair, though the municipality continues to face systemic shortages due to record-high consumption levels.
On weekdays, the duration of interruptions will be reduced, generally taking place between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. At the same time, the gradual restoration of irrigation in some parks will begin.
The gradual recovery of reserves will allow for testing in order to reduce restrictions. Water cuts will no longer occur on weekends, and during the remaining days, cuts will take place from 1:00 am to 6:00 am.
In an initial phase, scheduled water supply cuts in the Almada municipality, in the Setúbal district, will no longer occur on weekends
Average water reserves in Almada have reached 78%, enabling authorities to begin a testing phase to gradually lift some extraordinary measures. Scheduled water supply cuts will no longer occur on weekends, and weekday interruptions will be reduced to the 01:00 to 06:00 window. The municipality is also beginning to restore irrigation in specific public parks after technical testing, while emphasizing that the situation remains under daily monitoring by the crisis cabinet.
In an initial phase, scheduled water supply cuts in the municipality will no longer occur on weekends.
The lack of water in Almada has awakened the country to the problem of poor management of this resource. Waste is significant and the management of supply networks is weak.
A health centre closed due to a lack of water, businesses unable to operate, restaurants at a standstill, residents on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and firefighters distributing water to the population. We are not in the interior, in extreme drought. We are in Costa da Caparica, twenty minutes from Lisbon, during one of the rainiest years of the last...
Portugal maintains high levels of water quality and access to supply, but a lack of investment in infrastructure renewal is creating growing risks to service reliability, with over 26% of the precious potable water resource still being lost in the network. In an interview with Expresso, the president of the Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority (ERSAR) says the supply crisis in Almada should serve as a warning to municipalities and advocates for greater cooperation between local authorities, strengthening network efficiency, and an urgent commitment to modernising the sector's systems.
The Almada Municipal Assembly rejected a motion of no confidence against the municipal executive led by Inês de Medeiros, following water supply cuts in the region, particularly in the Costa da Caparica area. The motion, presented by the PSD, was defeated with votes against from the PS, CDU, and Livre, while the BE abstained. During the meeting, Mayor Inês de Medeiros attributed the water shortages to structural issues rather than infrastructure failures, while residents protested outside the venue due to limited access to the session.
While Jesus proves that 12 is the new half of 26, Almada will only have full water supply next year. The Livre party grew by mistake and jurists are already fleeing from veterinarians. Everything is squeaky clean.
In the early hours of the morning, the Almada Municipal Assembly rejected a motion of no confidence presented by the PSD against the municipality's Socialist leadership, following water supply failures in the district.
Presented following water supply cuts to the population, the initiative was voted down by the PS, CDU, and Livre. The second day of the President of the Republic's visit to Cape Verde begins today.
The Almada Municipal Assembly will review a motion of no confidence this Tuesday (July 21) against the socialist leadership of the city council, presented by the PSD, which holds the municipality responsible for water supply failures in the municipality. The motion, the sole item on the agenda for the extraordinary meeting, follows repeated water supply disruptions affecting thousands of families and sectors such as hospitality. PSD councillor Paulo Sabino stated that a lack of planning and investment caused the issue. Although the motion is non-binding and will not force the executive to step down, the PSD hopes it will serve as a wake-up call. The municipality has declared an alert status, implementing night-time water cuts and restricting non-essential water use, while the municipal water services (SMAS) are working to repair leaks and identify illegal connections.
The Almada Municipal Assembly will debate a motion of no confidence this Tuesday against the Socialist leadership of the City Council, presented by the PSD, which holds the local authority responsible for water supply failures in the municipality. As the sole item on the agenda for the extraordinary meeting of the Almada Municipal Assembly, the motion of no confidence follows...
The motion follows failures in the water supply. PSD/Almada states that there was no adequate planning. SMAS announced inspections to ensure responsible usage.
The initiative is presented by the PSD, following problems with the water supply in the municipality. Additionally, Jorge Jesus says he will make few changes to his first squad selection for the national team.
The Municipal Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS) of Almada have reinforced inspection actions to ensure the “responsible use” of water and identified, in recent days, “several points with significant losses”, it was announced this Monday. “In the actions carried out in recent days, several points with significant water losses were identified, triggering immediate interventions, which...
The Municipalized Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS) of Almada have reinforced inspection actions to ensure “responsible water use” and have identified, in recent days, “several points with significant losses”, it was announced today.
Interventions involved “excavation and drainage work, restoring the infrastructure's operating conditions and eliminating situations of waste”.
The SMAS explained that the inspection operations carried out in recent days aim to “promote the responsible use of water, protect the public supply network, prevent losses, and detect irregular situations that could compromise the efficiency of the system.”
Water reserves in Almada have recovered to 46%, according to new data from the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS). The entity has launched a dashboard to monitor reservoir levels across the municipality. As of July 18, 2026, the 46% average falls into the 'yellow' category (30%-60%), prompting the local authority to evaluate potential reductions in water supply cuts. The data covers 13 local reservoirs. The municipality continues to urge responsible consumption, while the Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into recent supply failures. SMAS also confirmed a new water borehole has been completed following exceptional technical efforts.
